Monday, June 17, 2013

Pantheon Monday: Haparos the Luckbearer

HAPAROS
(The Luckbringer, the Dancing, the Brother, the Child of Fate, the White God)

Lesser God, CG
Portfolio: Good luck, serendipity, surprises, dance
Aliases: None
Domain Name: Corogoss the Laughing Fields
Superior: Fortuna, Vaela
Allies:  None
Foes: Tailii
Symbol: A coin bearing a smiling face, an egret
Worshipper Alignment: Any

Haparos (ha-PAHR-ose) is the Milean deity of luck and good humor. He is the son of Fortuna and Sarnis and brother to Tailii the Goddess of Ill Fortune. He is much beloved of Pog Tosscobble of the halflings and Heimir, and is often found cavorting with them.

While he has almost no direct worshipers, Haparos is invoked any time someone needs luck or the favor of the gods on their sides. For this reason he’s also the White Messenger and he often carries messages between the gods. In this aspect he is beholden to Vaela—as is his sister in her aspect as his opposite, the Black Messenger.

It’s perhaps due to this appellation and the thought of a winged messenger that lends the egret its associations with him; it is a holy bird and considered a symbol of good luck. So strong are these connections that some men wear silver, platinum, or white gold heron’s head pendants to bring them luck.

In his natural form (ie, not the White Messenger) Haparos is said to appear as a very young boy clad in all white with a cloak of downy feathers and an open, smiling face framed with golden locks.
The Church
Clergy: Specialty priests, fighters
Clergy’s Alignment: CG
Turn Undead: SP: Yes F: N
Command Undead: No

The Temple of Haparos is a shadow of the great Temple of Fortuna, and his cult is almost entirely dependent on hers. Only in the greatest and most populous of cities can his temples stand on their own. Everywhere else, his priests (where they exist) must do so by leeching off of the space and resources provided by Fortuna’s house. They reside in her temples, eat her food, and place their altars in her holy spaces.

These priests, known as vulforyx or “White-Lucks,” form a semi-rigid hierarchy dependent upon a single leader who resides in the city of Noranos at the House of White Fortune (Domum Vulforsinus in Varan) known as the Golden Oracle. This high priest is both hierophant and supreme authority on the canon of the temple, which is a secretive series of oral revelations passed down from one priest to the next.

Vulforyx are legendarily clandestine, though they make public appearances in many lands during festivals, carrying about a heron-eikon for the masses to stroke or throw coins at. Haparian shrines are also extremely common, and they may be attended by one or more begging brothers.

The ranks of temple authority begin with the lowliest begging-brother and step up through local White Hands (who wear a silver tattoo of the egret upon their left hand), White Hearts (who are said to have a matching tattoo upon their breast), and the Temple-Faithful.

The Temple-Faithful include both the rank and file of administrators and the local Haparian authority, the esteemed Archpriest (addressed as “Blessedness” rather than “Divine”).

Dogma: You are the agent of Haparos, unwitting though you may be! Spread his joyousness, and allow yourself to be the agent of the fair luck that runs through the world. Defeat the scourge of Tailii wherever you may go, and ensure that Fortuna’s Wheel turns ever in favor.

Day-to-Day Activities: Priests in the service of the White God attempt to mend the hurts of the world. They collect and distribute charity and food, mitigate the disasters of war and famine by walking among the wounded and starving with ministrations, run lazaria and infirmariums where they have the numbers, and otherwise make worship to the Luckbringer.

Major Centers of Worship: The House of White Fortune serves as the center of the Haparian Order beneath the Golden Oracle.

Priestly Vestments: Vulforynx are encourage, of course, to wear white and cloth-of-silver as well as rings and torques of white gold. Their robes are often trimmed with extensive silver filigree and hemming and, like many cultic priests, they rarely wear garb other than the ankle-length robes of their order. Many also carry tall iron poles atop which the Sign of the Heron has been affixed.

Adventuring Garb: Vulforynx dress in whites and bleached colors when they adventure. They must always wear a white surcoat or tabard with heron patterns filigreed into it with thread-of-silver to identify them as their order.

VULFORYX
(Specialty Priest)

REQUIREMENTS: Wisdom 12, Charisma 14
PRIME REQ: Charisma
ALIGNMENT: CG
WEAPONS: Club, staff, flail, mace, sap, sling
MAJOR SPHERES: All, Chaos, Charm, Creation, Divination, Healing, Necromantic
MINOR SPHERES: Guardian, Sun, Wards, Weather
MAGICAL ITEMS: Luckbearers may use any magical items that priests may.
REQ. PROFS: Gaming
BONUS PROFS: Religion (Haparos), Religion (Fortuna)

Once every three days, a vulforynx can reroll any one of his rolls. This may be declared after the roll is made.

At 3rd level, the vulforynx receives a permanent +1 bonus to his AC by virtue of Haparos’ kindly gaze.

At 5th level, the vulforynx may cast the spell chaos ward three times per week. (Spells and Magic)

At 7th level, the vulforynx saves as though he were three levels higher.

At 10th level, the vulforynx may reroll any 1s on his dice for determining damage dealt or hp healed using magic.


At 15th level, the vuforynx is immune to chaotic magic (any spells of the chaos sphere) of all kinds. Additionally, chaotic creatures have a -2 penalty to attack him.

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